Friday, 29 November 2013

The Kharites or Charites or Grace in Greek mythology is described as one
of a group of goddess who personified charm and beauty. The Grace were
usually considered the daughters of Zeus and Eurynome, however in other
versions daughters of Zeus by Hera or Harmonia or Lethe or Eunomia or
Eurydomene. Also in some versions they were daughters of Helios and
Aegle, or of Apollo by Aegle or Evanthe, or of Dionysus by Aphrodite or
Coronis. The number of Grace varied in different legends, but usually
they were three: Aglaia (brightness), Euphrosyne (joyfulness), and Thalia
(bloom).Other Grace sometimes mentioned were: Auxo, Hegemone,Peitho, Phaenna, Kharis, and Pasithea. The Grace were attendants of the goddess
Aphrodite and Hera.

In Greek mythology, Iris was described as the goddess of the rainbow, and the messenger of the Olympian
gods. Iris was described goddess of the sea and sky, as she was the
daughter of Thaumas (sea god) and Electra (cloud nymph). As the
messenger of the gods, Iris is described as swift-footed, like a storm
wind and she principally engaged in the, service of Zeus, and also Hera.

Iris and Zeus

Iris performed her services not only when commanded but she sometimes
advice and assists of her own accord. Iris was chosen by the gods to
carry water from the Styx (the river of oaths) to Mt Olympus for the
gods to swear by.

Iris carry water from the river Styx

Iris was described as a virgin goddess, but later
writers said that she was married to Zephyrus, the god of west wind.

Iris and Zephyrus

Iris was represent either
as a rainbow or as a young maiden with wings. She was usually depicted
standing beside Zeus or Hera sometimes as cupbearer of the gods she is
often indistinguishable from Hebe in art.INDEX

In Greek mythology, Hebe is described as goddess of youth, and daughter
of Zeus and Hera. Hebe was the cupbearer for the gods and goddesses of
Mt Olympus. She was also the goddess of the young bride and an
attendant of the goddess Aphrodite. Hebe had power to make persons of
advanced age young again. Hebe assists Hera in putting the horses to her
chariot and she bathes and dresses her brother Ares. Hebe's male
counterpart was the boy Ganymede. When Hercules ascended into heaven
after his painful death, Hebe became his bride. Hebe became by Hercules
the mother of two sons, Alexiares and Anitcetus. Sometime she was
represented with wings like the goddess Iris and Nike.

Monday, 25 November 2013

In Greek mythology, Phobos is described as the son of Aphrodite and
Ares, and twin brother of Deimos (terror). Phobos was described as the
personification of fear. In Greek mythology, Phobos is more of a
personification of the fear brought by war and does not appear as a
character in any myth. He was known for accompanying Ares into battle
along with Enyo, Eris, and Deimos (terror).

Phobos often is depicted as
having a lion's or lion like head. Warriors and heroes who worshiped
Phobos such as Hercules and Agamemnon carried shields with depiction of
Phobos on them. Those who worshiped Phobos often made bloody sacrifices
in his name.

Sinope was the daughter of river-god Asopus by Metope. According to
other version she was daughter of Ares by Aegiva or Parnassa. There is
two stories about Sinope:- First she was abducted by Apollo and carried
to the place where later stood the city of her name, the city Sinope on
the Black Sea. A son named Syrus was born from their union. Second she
was abducted to the place by Zeus, who in his passion, swore to fulfill
her wish. Sinope declared she wished to remain a virgin. Sinope later
tricked Apollo and the river Halys in the same fashion and remained a
virgin all her life.

Sunday, 24 November 2013

In Greek mythology, Othreis was an Oreiad or Naiad nymph, who was loved
by Apollo and Zeus. She became mother of Phager (Phagrus) by Apollo, and
of Meliteus by Zeus. According to legend, when Othreis gave birth to
Zeus child (Meliteus), she was in fear of Hera wrath. In fear of Hera,
as Othreis had affair with Zeus (Hera husband), she exposed her child in
forest. The child however nurtured by bees and thus survived. He was
soon found by his half-brother, Phager, who was pasturing his sheep in
forest. Impressed with the child being nurtured in such a marvelous
way, Phager took him home (to Phthia). Phager brought him up with great
care and gave him name Meliteus, "Bee-Man", because he had been
nourished by bees. When Meliteus grew up, he founded the city Melite in
Phthia.

In Greek mythology, Ganymede was a Trojan prince, son of Tros or
Laomedon. He was the most beautiful of all morals. Ganymede was carried
off by Zeus either in his natural shape or in the form of an eagle or he
sent his eagle to fetch Ganymede into heaven (Mt Olympus). Ganymede was
carried off, to be the cupbearer of Zeus, in which office he was
conceived to have succeeded Hebe. Zeus compensated the father of
Ganymede, with the present of a pair of divine horses, and Hermes who
took the horses to Ganymede's father, at same time comforted him by
informing him that by will of Zeus, Ganymede had became immoral and
exempt from old age. The other version state that the compensation which
Zeus have to Ganymede's father consisted of a golden vine.

Zeus and Ganymede

Later
writers describe him as the beloved and favorite of Zeus. Ganymede was
frequently represented as the god of homosexual love. In a rare version,
Ganymede was said to be carried of by Tantalus or Minos, and that he
was killed during the chase.

In Greek mythology, Eos was the daughter of Hyperion and Theia or
Euryphassa and sister of Helios (sun) and Selene (moon). Eos was the
rosy fingered goddess of the dawn. Eos rose up into the sky from the
river Oceanus at the start of eachday and with her rays of light
dispersed the mists of night. She was sometimes depicted riding in a
golden chariot drawn by winged horses at other time she was shown borne
aloft by her own pair of wings. Eos is most noted for her insatiable
appetite for youngmen.

Eos riding in a golden chariot

As Eos had affair with the war god Ares and was
cursed with unsatisfiable sexual desire by the jealous Aphrodite. This
caused her to abduct a number of handsome youngmen, most notable
Cephalus, Orion, Cletus, and Tithonus. Tithonus by whom she became
mother of Emathion and Memnon. Eos begged Zeus to make Tithonus
immortal, but forgot to request eternal youth for him. So long as he was
young and beautiful she lived with him at the end of the earth on the
bank of Oceanus and when he grew old she nursed him until his voice
disappeared and his body became quite dry, and then transformed him into
cricket.

Eos and Tithonus

By Astraeus she became mother of Boreas, Notus, Heosphorus,
Zephyrus, and other stars. When her son Memnon was going to fight
against Achilles, she asked Hephaetus to give arms for him and when
Memnon was killed her tears fell down in form of morning dew.

Callisto or Kallisto was the daughter of Lycaon, king of Arcadia. She
was one of Artemis hunting attendants. As a companion of Artemis,
Callisto took a vow to remain a virgin. Zeus, who was in love with
Callisto, appeared to her in disguise of Artemis, gained her confidence
and took advantage of her.

Zeus turn Callisto into a bear when Hera
came across them as they were consorting or zeus jealous wife Hera
angrily transformed her into a bear. Hera also persuaded Artemis to
think she was a normal bear and to shoot her. Zeus sent Hermes to
recover the child, Arcas from her womb and deliver him into the care of
Maia. Zeus came to rescue turning Callisto into the constellation
Arctos, the great bear also known as Ursa Major. Later she was joined by
her son who became the nearby constellation Arctophylase, the little
bear, also known as Ursa Minor.

Callisto pregnant condition was discovered while bathing

According to other version Callisto
pregnant condition was discovered some months later while bathing with
Artemis and her fellow nymphs. Artemis in her anger transformed
Callisto into a bear. Hunters then caught and delivered her son Arcas.
Later when her son was grown, Callisto, still a bear, encountered the
son hunting in the forest. When Arcas was about to kill his own mother
with his javelen, Zeus prevent the tragedy by placing mother and son
amongst the stars as Ursa Major and Ursa Minor respectively. Hera holds
grudge against Callisto asked Tethys and Oceanus not to allow Callisto
to enter thier realm, the ocean. Due to this Callisto must circle the
North Star and never set over the horizon (circumpolar position).

In Greek mythology, the fifty daughters of Danaus were know as Danaides.
The family migrated from Libya in North Africa to Argos in Greek. The
fifty sons of Danaus' brother Aigyptus later arrived in Argos in search
of their cousins. They forced Danaus to let them marry the girls, but he
persuaded his daughters to murder the men on their wedding night.

Danaides murdered their husband

All
murdered their husband on the wedding night, except Hypermnestra, who
spare her husband Lynceus, because he respected her desire to remain a
virgin. Danaus was angered that his daughter refused to do as he ordered
and was punished her with imprisonment, but afterwards restored to her
husband Lynceus. The Danaides buried the corpses of their victims and
were purified from their crime by Hermes and Athena at the command of
Zeus.

Danaus afterward found it difficult to obtain husbands for his
daughters, so he invited men to public contests, in which his daughters
were given as prizes to the victors. According to other version Lynceus
killed Danaus as revenge for the death of his brother, and he and
Hypermnestra started the Danaid Dynasty of rulers in Argos. The other
fourty nine Danaides remarried by choosing their mate in foot races.

Danaides in underworld

Not
withstanding Danaides purification mentioned by earlier writers, later
poets tell Danaides were punished for the crime by Hades, after their
death, in Tartarus (underworld) forced them to carry water from the Styx
in a jar to fill a bathtub with a leak, to wash their sins off. Because
the water was always leaking they would forever try to fill the tub. In
rare version Danaides were killed by Lynceus together with their
father.

In Greek mythology, Lamia was described as a beautiful queen of Libya
and was a mistress of Zeus. Zeus jealous wife Herakill all Lamia's
children and transformed her into a monster that hunt and devours the
children of other. Another version stated that as Hera kill all Lamia's
children and it being Lamia herself, losing her mind from grief and
despair, who starts stealing and devouring others' children out of envy,
the repeated monstrosity of which transforms her into a monster on its
own.

Limia with a snake tail below the waist

In some versions Lamia is described with a serpent's (snake) tail
below the waist. In later stories, Lamia was cursed with the inability
to close her eyes so that she would always obsess over the image of her
dead children. Zeus gave her the power of taking her eyes out of head
and putting them in again. Later traditions referred to many Lamiae, who
were beautiful ghostly women, seduced youngmen, and fed on their blood.
In some versions she is also called the mother of Scylla. INDEX

Thursday, 21 November 2013

Dryope was the daughter of Dryops, king of Oeta or of Eurytus. Dryope used to play with Hamadryads (tree nymphs) of the wood on Mt Oeta. Hamadryads taught her to sing hymns to the gods and to dance. Once Apollo saw her and fall in love with her. In order to gain possession of her, Apollo transformed himself into a tortoise. The tree-nymphs played with the tortoise and Dryope took it into her lap.

Dryope and Apollo

Apollo then changed himself into a snake, which frightened the nymphs away. Dryope tried to run, but he coiled around her legs and held her arms tightly against her sides, as he seduce her. Soon after she married Andraemon, the son of Oxylus, but she became, by Apollo, the mother of Amphissus, who, afterhe had grown up built the town of Oeta and a temple to Apollo. The tree-nymphs came to converse with Dryope, who had became a priestess of the temple, but one day Apollo return in the form of a serpent and coiled around her while she stood by a spring.this time Dryope was turn into a poplar tree. According to other version, Dryope saw the red flowers of the lotus tree, the nymph Lotis who when ran from Priapus advances, had transformed into a tree. Dryope wanted to give the flower to her baby (Amphissus) to play with, but when she picked mode the used started to tremble and bleed. She tried to run away, but the alone of the tree had found her feet slowly began to turn into poplar tree. Before fully transform into poplar tree, her husband Andraemon on hearing her cries, came to her. She had enough time to warm her husband to take case of their child and make sure that he did not pick flower. According to some versions, Hermes became father of Pan by Dryope, daughter of Dryops.INDEX

Wednesday, 20 November 2013

Amymone was princess of Argos, one of the Danaides, the fifty daughters
of Danaus. The family migrated from Libya in North Africa to Argos in
Greece. But new land was parched by drought. So Danaus sent his daughters
out to find water.

Danaides, the fifty daughters of Danus

Amymone whiled searching for water, threw a spear at
a deer and hit a sleeping satyr, who woke, jump up and was ready to
have sex with her. Then Poseidon appeared and the Satyr ran off.
Poseidon himself have sex with her, after which he told her about the
spring of Lerna. She bore him a son name Nauplius.

Amymone, Poseidon and Satyr

The fifty sons of
Danaus' brother Aigyptus, later arrived in Argos in search of their
cousins. They forced Danaus to let them marry the girls, but he
persuaded his daughters to murder the men on their wedding night.
Amymone compelled, slaying her husband Enkeladus.

According to Greek mythology, Danae was the daughter of Acrisius, king
of Argos. After an oracle warned her father that she would bear a son by
whom he would be slain, he confined Danae in a tower. Her prison
however, was easily infiltrated by the Zeus, who seduce her in the guise
of a golden shower, and she gave birth to Perseus. According to some
versions she was impregnated by her uncle Proseus. Mother and child were
then placed in a wooden box and cast unto the sea.

They drifted ashore
on the island of Seriphus, and Perseus grew up there. The island king
Polydectes was charmed by Danae but she had on interest in him.
Polydectes agree not to marry her only he her son would bring the head of
the Gorgon Medusa. Using Athena's shield, Hermes's winged sandals, and
Hades' helmet of invisibility Perseus was able to evade Medusa's gaze
and beheaded her.

Perseus with Medusa's head

According to other version, Perseus was angry that he had been sent on quest to kill Medusa. So that
his mother, Danae was alone to be pursued by Polydectes. Perseus turned
Polydectes and his allies to stone with Medusa's head. Perseus rescued
his mother and took her to Argos. However learning of the prophecy
instead went to Larissa, where athletic games were being held. By
chance, Acrisius was there and Perseus accidentally struck him on the
head with his javelin and kill his grandfather.INDEX

1.Chione or Khione was the daughter of Boreas, god of the chill north wind
and Oreithyia, the lady of mountain gales, and was sister of Cleopatra,
Zetes, and Calais. In Greek mythology Chione is described as goddess of
snow.

Chione

Chione had intercourse with Poseidon, and when she have birth to
Eumoplus, without letting her father know. She threw the baby into the
deep sea to avoid discovery. But Poseidon rescued the baby and took the
baby to Aithiopia. He gave baby to Benthesikyme, the deep wave (his
daughter).2.Chione or khione was a nymph, she was said to
have been abducted byBoreas, god of north wind, and brought by him to
Mt Niphantes.

Boreas and Chione

Chione gave birth to hyperborean Boreades, the three gaint
sons of Boreas.3.Chione or Khione was the daughter of Daedalion. She was very beautiful
and had countless suitors. Once Apollo and Hermessaw her and both fall in
love with her. Hermes put her to sleep and seduce her. Apollo waited for
nightfall and then approached her in the guise of an old woman and
seduce her.

Chione

Chione became pregnant with twin, Philamon (son of Apollo)
and Autolycus (son of Hermes). Chione became so vain, she compared her
beauty with Artemis. Artemis killed her with an arrow. Daedalion grieved
so much at his daughter's death the he jump from peak of Mt Parnassus,
and was transformed by Apollo into a hawk. 4.Chione or khione was a
Naiad nymph, daughter of River Neilus (Nile) in Aigyptus (Egypt). She
was raped by a peasant and cast down upon the desert.

Chione

Zeus pity on her
and send Hermes, who transformed her into a cloud, which snowed down
upon the desert. INDEX

Tuesday, 19 November 2013

Pan was the god of shepherds and flocks, of mountain, wilds, hunting,
and rustic music. In Greek mythology Pan was usually said to be son of
Hermes by the daughter of Dryops, or by Thymbris or by Penelope, and in
some versions son of Zeus. Pan wandered the hills and mountain of
Arkadia playing his pan-pipes and chasing Nymphs.

Pan with Nymphs

His unseen presence
aroused feelings of panic in men passing through the remote, lonely
places of the wilds. Pan was often represented as a vigorous and
lustful figure with the horns, legs, and ears of a goat. Pan was lover
of nymphs, and nymphs commonly fled from his advances. Syrinx ran away
from Pan advances and was transformed into a clump of reeds, out of
which Pan crafted his famous pan-pipes. Some Christian depictions of the
devil bear a striking resemblance to Pan. Pan could inspire irrational
terror in humans, and the word 'panic' came from his name.

Friday, 15 November 2013

Europa was the daughter either of Phoenix or of Agenor, king of Phoenicia. Her beauty inspired the love of Zeus. Zeus transformed himself into a white bull and mixed in with Europa father's herds. When Europa with her companions were gathering flowers, she saw the beautiful bull. She caressed his flanks and eventually got onto his back. Zeus took that opportunity and ran to the sea and swam, with her on his back to island of Crete. Europa pleaded with him to pity her. Zeus them reveled his true identity and explained his love. After bearing Zeus three sons, she married the king of Crete, who adopted her sons. They grew up to become King Minos of Crete, King Rhadamanthus of the Cyclades, and Prince Sarpedon of Lycia. They became the three judge of underworld when they die. On Crete Europa was worshiped under the name Hellotis. The continent of Europe is named for her.INDEX

Io was the daughter of Inachus, the founder of the worship of Hera at Argos, and according to other versions she was daughter of Iasus or Peiren. Zeus fell in love with Io and lusted after her. Io rejected Zeus advances untill the oracles caused her own father to drive her out into the field of Lerna. Zeus pursued Io, covered her with clouds to hide her from the eyes of his wife (Hera), and seduce her.

Io covered with clouds

Hera notice the clouds and got suspicious. She came down from Mt Olympus and began dispersing the clouds. Zeus transform Io into white cow, so when clouds dispersed Hera found Zeus standing next to a white cow. Hera was not fooled, she demanded the cow, as a present, and Zeus could not refuse her without arousing suspicion.

Hera immediately put Io under the watch of hundred eyed creature, Argus. And even when Argus was sleeping, he never closed more than half of his eyes. Zeus sent Hermes to kill Argus and set Io free. Disguised as a shepherd Hermes had to employ all his skill as a musician and story-teller to gain Argus confidence and lull him to sleep with all hundred eyes closed. Once asleep Hermes killed Argus. Hera was enraged at this, but did not know who had done it. Hera put some of Argus eyes on the tail of peacock. Peacock have these eyes to this day.

Hera in grief after Argus death

Hera put some of Argus eyes on the tail of peacock

Hera sent a gadfly to torment (string) Io without rest. According to some versions ghost of Argus pursued Io as well. This pushed Io near madness, trying to escape she wandered the world. During her wanders she came across Prometheus while chained, and everyday a giant eagle, fed on his liver. Despite his agony, he hate Io hope. He predicted that she would have to wander for many years, but she would eventually be changed back into human form and would bear a child. According to some versions he also predicted that a descendent of this child would be a great hero and set him free. Io wander across the Europe and crossed the bodies of water later named the Ionian Sea and the Bosporus (ford of the cow) in her honour. When she arrived in Egypt, Zeus restore her back to human form. According to other version Hera agreed to changing her back into a human, but only Zeus sword never to look at or speak to Io again. Io bore Epaphus and eleven generations later her descendent Hercules set Prometheus free. Io was later identified with the Egyptian goddess Isis. INDEX

In Greek mythology, Nemesis is described as daughter of Nyx (night) with no father, in some versions she is described as daughter of Erebus and Nyx, or Oceanus. Nemesis was often depicted as a winged goddess. Nemesis was the goddess of indignation against and retribution for, evil deeds and undeserved good fortune. Nemesis distributes happiness and unhappiness, and take care that happiness was not too frequent or too excessive. If this happene Nemesis could bring about losses and suffering. According to some versions, Nemesis was the mother of Helen. When Zeus show his interest towards Nemesis, she to avoid him, turns into a goose. Zeus turns into a swan and mate with her. Nemesis in her bird form laid an egg that was found by shepherd. Shepherd gave it to Leda, who carefully kept it in a chest until the egg hatched, Leda adopted Helen as her daughter. INDEX

In Greek mythology, Leda was the daughter of King Thestius of Aetolia and wife of King Tyndareus of Lacedaemon (or Sparta). Zeus fell in love with Leda and lusted after her. Zeus visited her in form of swan, and fell into her arms for protection from a pursuing eagle. Zeus seduce her in the form of a swam. On the same night Leda had intercourse with her husband Tyndareus. As a result Leda laid two eggs each of which contain one child of Zeus, Pollux in one and Helen in the other, and one child each of her husband, Castor and Clytemnestra. According to other version Leda laid an egg from which were hatched the twins Castor and Pollux, both sons of Zeus. Another version states that Nemesis was the mother of Helen, and was also impregnated by Zeus in the form of a swan. A shepherd found the egg and gave it to Leda. She carefully kept it in a chest until the egg hatched. Leda adopted Helen as her daughter. Leda also had other daughter by Tyndareus- Timandra, Phoebe, and Philonoe. INDEX

Thursday, 14 November 2013

Athena the goddess of war and wisdom, once went to workshop of the smith god Hephaestus. As she wanted to make some weapons. Hephaestus, who was deserted by his wife, Aphrodite (goddess of sexual love and beauty), became aroused by Athena, and started chasing her as she ran from him. When he caught up with her with much effort (as he was lame), he tried to enter her, but she, being the model of virginal self-control, would not let him.

Athena and Hephaestus

So as he ejaculated, his semen fell on her leg. Athena wiped Hephaestus semen, with scrap of wool, from her leg and threw it upon the earth. The goddess of earth, Gaea, was accidentally impregnated by the semen of Hephaestus and bore a son Erichthonius. Athena felt a certain responsibility for this child and raised it as her own.INDEX

In Greek mythology, Eris is described as personification of strife. Eris is described as daughter of Nyx (night) and according to other version as a daughter of Zeus and Hera. Eris was the friend and sister of Ares, and with him she delights in the tumult of war, increasing the moaning of men. She is insatiable in her desire for bloodshed and after all the other gods have withdrawn from the battle field, she still remains rejoicing over the havoc that has been made. Eris is described as the mother of a variety of allegorical being, which are the causes or representative of man's misfortunes.

Eris in battle field

When Eris alone was not invited to the wedding of Peleus and Thetis, she threw down among the guests a golden apple inscribed "for the most beautiful." Hera, Athena, and Aphrodite each claimed it, and Zeus assigned the task of judging to the Trojan Paris. He awarded the apple to Aphrodite, who in return helped him carry off the beautiful Helen, an act that triggered war. INDEX

Tuesday, 12 November 2013

Zagreus or Zagreos was the first-born son of Zeus who the god seated on the throne of
heaven armed with thunderbolts when he was just a babe. The Titan gods came into Olympus, distracted the child, and dismembered him with their
bloody knives. Athena recovered his heart, and the god was reborn
through Semele as Dionysus.

Monday, 11 November 2013

Atlas personified the quality of endurance. He was the son
of Iapetus and Clymene (or Asia), and brother
of Menoetius, Prometheus, and Epimetheus. Atlas was the god who instructed
mankind in the art of astronomy, a tool which was used by sailors in navigation
and farmers in measuring the seasons. Atlas was one of the Titans who took part in
their war against Zeus, for which as a punishment he was condemned to stand at
the western edge of the Earth (Gaea) and hold up Heaven (Uranus) on his
shoulders, to prevent the two from resuming their primordial embrace. According
to other version, Atlas was said to have been appointed guardian of the pillars
which held earth and sky apart.

Atlas is said to have been the father of the Pleiades by
Pleione or by Hesperis, of the Hyades and Hesperides by Aethra, and of Oenomaus
and Maea by Sterope.

Hercules encountered
the Atlas during his quest for the Golden Apples of the Hesperides. Hercules
agreed to take the heavens upon his shoulders while Atlas fetched the apples. In
some versions, Heracles built the two Pillars to hold the sky away from the
earth, freed Atlas. According to other version Perseus came to Atlas to ask for
shelter, which he refused, whereupon Perseus by means of the head of Medusa changed
him into mount Atlas, on which heaven rested with all its
stars. In some version Atlas is represent as a powerful king, who possessed great
knowledge of the courses of the stars, and who was the first who taught men
that heaven had the form of a globe.INDEX